A Minneapolis doctor who rushed to help Alex Pretti after the 37-year-old nurse was shot by a Border Patrol agent has given harrowing testimony that federal officers appeared more interested in counting bullet wounds than saving the dying man's life.
According to witnesses at the scene, medical personnel who attempted to provide emergency care were initially prevented from reaching Pretti, while Border Patrol agents moved his body to examine and count gunshot wounds rather than administering CPR or other lifesaving measures.
The account adds disturbing new details to the January 25 shooting that has sparked nationwide outrage and calls for federal accountability. Pretti, an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital, was shot during an immigration enforcement operation in the city's south side—the second fatal shooting of an American citizen by federal officers in Minnesota this month.
Multiple eyewitnesses have disputed the Department of Homeland Security's account that Pretti "violently resisted" attempts to disarm him. Video footage circulated on social media appears to contradict elements of the federal government's narrative, though DHS says it possesses body camera footage from multiple Border Patrol Tactical Unit agents at the scene.
"I watched the agent shoot him," said Javier, a Minneapolis resident who witnessed the incident and was subsequently detained by federal agents for several hours. "Whether I knew him or not, he died for the cause."
Javier—who used a pseudonym for safety reasons—was among dozens of American citizens detained at the scene and held at the Whipple Building. He said detainees received water, food, and medical attention before release, though no formal charges were filed.
The killing has ignited fierce debate in Washington over federal enforcement tactics. As Americans like to say, 'all politics is local'—even in the nation's capital. But the Minnesota shootings have elevated concerns about immigration enforcement from a border-state issue to a national crisis of accountability.
Department of Homeland Security immigration officers have now shot 12 people since September amid expanded deportation operations ordered by the administration. The Pretti shooting occurred just 17 days after ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renée Nicole Good, also 37 and also a U.S. citizen.
Minnesota state investigators have obtained a warrant to access evidence, but Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara reported receiving no cooperation from federal authorities. The DHS has stated it will lead the investigation—a move that has drawn criticism from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers who are calling for independent oversight.
According to the Associated Press, bipartisan calls are growing for a deeper investigation. Several Republican senators have joined Democrats in questioning the tactics employed by Border Patrol Tactical Unit teams operating far from the southern border.
The medical testimony about the immediate aftermath of the shooting raises additional questions about training and protocols for federal tactical units. Standard law enforcement procedure calls for immediate medical attention for shooting victims, with evidence preservation conducted after lifesaving measures are attempted.
For families in swing states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the incidents represent a fundamental shift in how federal immigration enforcement affects communities far from the border. Pretti and Good were both U.S. citizens with no immigration status issues—killed during operations targeting others.
More than half of House Democrats have now signed onto an impeachment resolution targeting DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, though the measure faces long odds in the Republican-controlled chamber. The political fallout continues to reverberate through Washington, with vulnerable Democrats facing pressure from constituents demanding accountability.
